In 1980, she studied at L’Università di Urbino, in Italy. in political science and Italian Literature at UC Berkeley. A native New Yorker, Michele received her B.A. She was part of a team that won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting. She spent 10 years at New York Newsday as a reporter on the crime, education, state legislature and New York City Hall beats. Previously, Michele was the assistant features editor at The Oregonian, in Portland, as well as the Portland City Hall reporter. She joined the U-T in 2003, supervising coverage areas that have included features, fashion, TV, Food, Consumer Health and Arts & Entertainment. Michele is the former Sunday and features editor, where she oversaw profiles, special projects, such as the Legacy of WWII and in-depth reports on a variety of topics. Her areas of expertise include the Valle de Guadalupe wine region, fashion, television, women’s issues and coverage of aging, such as the impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia and family caregiving. Michele Parente is the Dining, Wine + Lifestyle reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
